Combined support and guard



V. C. KLOEPPER. coMBmEn `SUPPORT AND GUARD. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28.1920.

y Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

vide an.

Patented Sept. 12 1922.

1 Unir STATES f 1,429,039 .ATENT odi-Fica vALENTiNE'c. xnonrrnn, ors'r.Louis, MssoURI.

' coiuismnn sUProRTvAND GUARD.

' Appiionmed'February-2s, i920. *serial 110.362,085.

To all whom it mag/concern: Be it known that-I,-VALENTINE C.l KLoiir-PER, Va citizen of the United States of America, andLavresident/ofthecity ofStf. Louis and State i of Missouri, -have invented certain newand usefuly Improvements in a Combined Support and Guard for AutomobileRadiators, of which the followingis va specification; f The primaryobject 'of this "invention is to provide an vimproved guard orprotecting member for 'encasing the 'cooling' radiator of a vehicle`such as an explosive motor driven truck'or tractor. l

Another object ofthe invention `is'to pro- ,improved' radiator ysupport'and guard. f A further objectr of the invention is in providing ay guardfor a vehicle radiatorlwhich not only supports the "radiatory butsupports the" front portion of the 'motor hood as well, :and'in whichthe radiator can be removed from the guard while the guard is stillupholding the front portion of the hood.

Other and further objects ywill appear in the specification and bespecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had..tothe accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of this improved device showing it securedto the forward end of the vehicle frame.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line II-II ofFig. 1 in which the greater part of the radiator is shown in full lines.

Figure 3 isl a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line III- IIIof Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged Vertical fra menk lary section taken on the lineIV- V of vIgteferring to the drawings 1 designates the side members of avehicle frame, and arranged transversely of said members and mountedthereabove is a radiator guard 2 which is arranged in front ofthecooling radiator 3, said guard 2 being preferably constructed in onepiece, and iscomprised of a lower cross member 4, vertically extendingside members 5 and an overlapping upper cross member 6, having arearwardly extending portion- 7 and a downward extending portion 8, andcentrally arranged in the cross member 7 is an opening 9 which isV forthe reception of .the filling 'neck 10 lof i the'radiator 3. Formedintegral with :the crossmembers 4 and 6 is a plurality of Vertica'llyextending forwardly projecting `bars 11, and formed integral with thelowerend of each of the side members 5 is a foot 12, said feet 12forming a resting base' for the guard 2 on the respective side members 1of the vehicle frame, each of Isaid feet having an opening 13, each ofsaid openings aliningv with al respective bolt opening 1/1 provided in,each ofthe side members 1,'-and passing, through each ypair of aliningopenings 13 and 14 is abolt 15' bearing'a spring 16, each of said boltsand theirrespective springs providing a iexible fastening y,member yforsecuring the 'guard 2 to the side members l1 of the vehicle frame.:`

In' ,the 4present form of construction for securingthe coolingradiatorsto therehicle `frai';nes',. the radiators arev generallyV secured,direct tothe frames, and owing to the radiators bei-ng constructed of..sheet metal cov and the nature of such construction is delil caterelative to providing av network of tubes or passages between the waterheads thereof, such construction of radiators frequently get strained orsprung from the flexing movement of the side members of the vehicleframe, thereby causing t-hemto leak.

In addition to the aforesaid, since a vehicle radiator is arrangedforwardly, it isl liable to receive head-on collision, whichl will causedamage thereto.

This improved guard while serving as a protector for the radiatoragainst head-onl collision also provides means for supporting theradiator so that the tortional'strains of the vehicle frame will bereceived and borne by the guard. In this connection the cross members 4and 6 of the guard are provided adjacentv each end with a bolt opening17,

`each bolt opening being in alinement with a bushin 18 forming. part ofthe radiator 3, each of said bushings being for the reception of asecuring bolt 19 which are passed through the respective openings 17 ofthe guard 2, and when thenuts of thebolts arel and in the event that itis desired to remove the radiator' from encasement within the guard 2after the bolts l9 and cap 2Q of the radiator have been removed, theradiator can be lowered therefrom; the guard being left in its normalposition and providing a support from the motor hood 21.

From the aforesaid description of this improved radiator guard andsupport, and since the radiator is eliminated from tortional strains ofthe vehicle frame, cooling radiators of this character can be providedof a simpler construction than heretofore in which the heretoforereinforcement thereof can be eliminated.

What I claim is:

l. The combination of a vehicle radiator and a guard therefor, saidguard being ar ranged forwardly of said radiator and being provided witha plurality of integrally formed forwardly projecting portions drawingmeans for securing said radiator to said guard, and a horizontallyextending bush ing carried by said radiator for the reception of saiddrawing means, f

2. The combination of a vehicle radiator and a guard member therefor,said memf ber being arranged .forwardly of said radiator and providingmeans for encasing said radiator and securing means cooperable with saidradiator and said guard `for demountably securing said radiator to saidguard, comprised of a bushing carried by said radiator for the receptionof a bolt carried by Said guard;

3. In combination, a vehicle radiator provided With an opening for thereception of a horizontally extending securing meniber, a guard arrangedforwardly thereof, a frame, and amotor hood, said guard adapted Atosupport the forward part of said hood,

a member extended from said guard into the opening of saidv radiator andsecured therein and flexible means provided for securing said guard tosaid frame.

4. The combination ,of a radiator and a guard therefor, said radiatorbeing provided with a plurality of horizontally extending openings, saidguard having an opening formed in its upper portion lfor the reception`of the fillingV n eclr of the radiator, and there being bolts carried bysaid guard each adapted to be engaged andy secured in a respectiveopening. of said. radiator for supporting said radiator rearwardly fromsaid guard.

5. The combination of a radiator, a guard for said` radiator, and aframe foi` supporting said guard, said guard being comprised ofl asingle supporting member which is arranged forwardly of said radiatorand secured to said frame, and rearwardly extending means borne by Saidguard adapted to be inserted from the frontof said guard for securingsaid radiator thereto.

` V. C. KLOEPPER.

